Web Usability Evaluation of Iran National Library Website

It is obvious that each information service exists for the sole purpose of satisfying its users. All its activities, services and products, ie., the totality of its functions are geared towards this purpose. How well this purpose is served is a measure of the effectiveness and usability of that information service. According to the value place of National Library as the golden gateway to access quick easy and unlimited information, considering its web usability can be useful. This paper aims to provide knowledge about the metrics of web usability evaluation in Iran National Library Website. Taking a critical approach, this article examines Iran National Library Web Site, in order to conduct a reliable usability assessment. The tools for data collection was an explanatory checklist, developed by the researchers based on the review of the literatures - a practical way with providing appropriate solutions deals - consisted of 11 log evaluation criteria and 160 components. desired website was measured by it. In order to analyze research findings, descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) used for this purpose. In general, the results showed that the web usability evaluation of Iran National Library Website (In comparison with the overall assessment of compliance of all criteria, in index website, with 663 points) is 594 points (88/5 percent). While the design of National Library Websites should be completely based on functions that support of National Library's major aims, especially in information retrieving as well as rendering public information services. Identifying the advantages and disadvantages of the method and employing it in real research environments to assess the usability of national library web site can not only be a useful exercise to measure the extent to which the studied website had the desired elements andfeatures, but can also be a starting point for further discussions on the reliability of usability evaluation method which can also be applied to other types of web site.